By: Gabe Taylor, Jade Kallenbach, and Sam Vonbehren
Summary
Theseus was a great Athenian hero, and son of the Athenian king, Aegeus. He spent his childhood with his mother, however, in a a city south of Greece. Before Theseus was born, Aegeus returned to Athens. Before he left, he placed a sword and a pair of shoes into a hollow place, then covered them with a stone. He told his wife that if his child was a boy and the boy grew strong enough to push the stone out of the way then she could send him to Athens to claim Aegeus as his father, therefore when she took Theseus to the stone, and he lifted it with no trouble at all. Theseus's mother finally told Theseus to go find his father in Athens. Theseus had an idea to become a great hero and had set Hercules, his cousin, as his role model. Instead of taking the easy voyage on a ship, he decided to go on foot to prove to himself that he was a great hero just like Hercules.
Once Theseus reached Athens, he went to his father and told him that he was his son. Aegeus announced to his country that his son has come and that he claimed him as his son. But all before his arrival at Athens there was a great ruler in Crete, King Minos, who had lost his only son, Androgeus, while he was visiting the Athenian king. King Aegeus sent King Minos's son on a journey that no one could accomplish to slay a dangerous bull, but the bull ended up killing Androgeus. King Minos then invaded and captured Athens. He decreed that every nine years the people would send him seven maidens and seven children to have Athens back under their control. King Minos used the seven maidens and the seven children to feed the Minotaur in Crete. The Minotaur was half bull and half human. The bull was an offspring of Minos' wife, Pasiphae. King Minos did not kill their son when it was born, but instead asked an inventor named Daedalus to build a labyrinth so that the bull could never escape it. It was impossible for the bull and the fourteen maidens and children to escape.
This all happened before Theseus arrived at Athens. Once Theseus got there he volunteered too be one of the victims, and everyone praised him for his kindness, but know no one realized he had the intention of killing the Minotaur. When Theseus arrived at Crete, he marched by King Minos's daughter, Ariadne, who instantly fell in love with Theseus and called for Daedalus and asked if she could have the way to get out of the maze for Theseus. Daedalus attached a ball of yarn to Theseus when he went into the labyrinth to find the Minotaur. Theseus found the Minotaur and the Minotaur pinned down Theseus at first sight of him. Without any other weapons Theseus did the only thing he could do; he battered the Minotaur to death. The other maidens and children followed Theseus out of the labyrinth.
Somehow Aegeus knew that his son had died and so the king threw himself off a rocky cliff into the sea. That sea was called the Aegean Sea ever since. Then forth Theseus became the king of Athens, where he resigned and formed a commonwealth where everybody is equal. Later Theseus married Phaedra. Theseus already had a son who was born to his first wife, Hippolyta. His name was Hippolytus and his new mother had fallen madly in love with him. Hippolytus hated women and was very angry with his mother when he discovered that she was in love with him. She hung herself with a note saying that Hippolytus had laid violent hands on her. When Theseus came back and discovered the note, he had Poseidon curse Hippolytus. When Hippolytus came back, he asked his father what had happened to his mother. Theseus didn't beleive him, and he told him to leave the land and go to ruin. Hippolytus left and nearly died in the wilderness. Artemis told Theseus what had happened and Theseus grew remorseful. Hippolytus was carried in, still alive, but there, he died. When Theseus died, it is said that he was in exile from Athens. He went into the court of Lycomedes. Lycomedes killed him for an unkown reason, and there was a great tomb built for him in Athens.
Facts and Allusions
Theseus was the cousin of Hercules. The Aegean Sea was named after Aegeus jumped to his death in it. A maze game was created called The Labyrinth.
The movie Immortals was filmed in 2011.
Sources
Ovid wrote Theseus and the Minotaur and so did Plutarch and Apollodorus. Ovid, Horace Gregory, and Zhenya Gay. Ovid: The Metamorphoses. New York: Viking, 1958. Print. Hamilton, Edith, and Monica Ferrell. Mythology: Edith Hamilton. New York: Spark Pub., 2002. Print.
Themes
One theme is to not love someone for their looks.
Take the opportunity when there is one, do not wait for it to come to you.
Don't jump ahead, wait until the decision is assured.
Theseus and the Minotaur
By: Gabe Taylor, Jade Kallenbach, and Sam VonbehrenSummary
Theseus was a great Athenian hero, and son of the Athenian king, Aegeus. He spent his childhood with his mother, however, in a a city south of Greece. Before Theseus was born, Aegeus returned to Athens. Before he left, he placed a sword and a pair of shoes into a hollow place, then covered them with a stone. He told his wife that if his child was a boy and the boy grew strong enough to push the stone out of the way then she could send him to Athens to claim Aegeus as his father, therefore when she took Theseus to the stone, and he lifted it with no trouble at all. Theseus's mother finally told Theseus to go find his father in Athens. Theseus had an idea to become a great hero and had set Hercules, his cousin, as his role model. Instead of taking the easy voyage on a ship, he decided to go on foot to prove to himself that he was a great hero just like Hercules.
Once Theseus reached Athens, he went to his father and told him that he was his son. Aegeus announced to his country that his son has come and that he claimed him as his son. But all before his arrival at Athens there was a great ruler in Crete, King Minos, who had lost his only son, Androgeus, while he was visiting the Athenian king. King Aegeus sent King Minos's son on a journey that no one could accomplish to slay a dangerous bull, but the bull ended up killing Androgeus. King Minos then invaded and captured Athens. He decreed that every nine years the people would send him seven maidens and seven children to have Athens back under their control. King Minos used the seven maidens and the seven children to feed the Minotaur in Crete. The Minotaur was half bull and half human. The bull was an offspring of Minos' wife, Pasiphae. King Minos did not kill their son when it was born, but instead asked an inventor named Daedalus to build a labyrinth so that the bull could never escape it. It was impossible for the bull and the fourteen maidens and children to escape.
This all happened before Theseus arrived at Athens. Once Theseus got there he volunteered too be one of the victims, and everyone praised him for his kindness, but know no one realized he had the intention of killing the Minotaur. When Theseus arrived at Crete, he marched by King Minos's daughter, Ariadne, who instantly fell in love with Theseus and called for Daedalus and asked if she could have the way to get out of the maze for Theseus. Daedalus attached a ball of yarn to Theseus when he went into the labyrinth to find the Minotaur. Theseus found the Minotaur and the Minotaur pinned down Theseus at first sight of him. Without any other weapons Theseus did the only thing he could do; he battered the Minotaur to death. The other maidens and children followed Theseus out of the labyrinth.
Somehow Aegeus knew that his son had died and so the king threw himself off a rocky cliff into the sea. That sea was called the Aegean Sea ever since. Then forth Theseus became the king of Athens, where he resigned and formed a commonwealth where everybody is equal. Later Theseus married Phaedra. Theseus already had a son who was born to his first wife, Hippolyta. His name was Hippolytus and his new mother had fallen madly in love with him. Hippolytus hated women and was very angry with his mother when he discovered that she was in love with him. She hung herself with a note saying that Hippolytus had laid violent hands on her. When Theseus came back and discovered the note, he had Poseidon curse Hippolytus. When Hippolytus came back, he asked his father what had happened to his mother. Theseus didn't beleive him, and he told him to leave the land and go to ruin. Hippolytus left and nearly died in the wilderness. Artemis told Theseus what had happened and Theseus grew remorseful. Hippolytus was carried in, still alive, but there, he died. When Theseus died, it is said that he was in exile from Athens. He went into the court of Lycomedes. Lycomedes killed him for an unkown reason, and there was a great tomb built for him in Athens.
Facts and Allusions
Theseus was the cousin of Hercules.
The Aegean Sea was named after Aegeus jumped to his death in it.
A maze game was created called The Labyrinth.
The movie Immortals was filmed in 2011.
Sources
Ovid wrote Theseus and the Minotaur and so did Plutarch and Apollodorus.
Ovid, Horace Gregory, and Zhenya Gay. Ovid: The Metamorphoses. New York: Viking, 1958. Print.
Hamilton, Edith, and Monica Ferrell. Mythology: Edith Hamilton. New York: Spark Pub., 2002. Print.
Themes
One theme is to not love someone for their looks.
Take the opportunity when there is one, do not wait for it to come to you.
Don't jump ahead, wait until the decision is assured.